SIXTY SECONDS with...

A minute’s all it takes to find out what makes a great guitarist tick. Before he jumped into his limo for the airport we grabbed a quick chat with Finnish jazz-rock-blues sensation Ilkka Rantamäki.

GT: Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without?

IR: I use a D’Andrea Pro Plec, 1.5mm gauge. It’s perfect for playing both electric and acoustic guitars as well as mandolin. It’s very similar to the Fender turtle-shell pick I used when I started in the early ’70s. It is very smooth for all types of playing. It was introduced to me by New York jazz guitar great Jonathan Kreisberg. It was like going back home after all these years playing the ‘wrong’ pick.

GT: If you had to give up all your effects pedals but three, what would they be?

IR: Always a tough one. But lately I’ve gone back to what I really like in the universe of effects pedals, so it would be a Joe Gagan made Italy wah-wah pedal tuned to sound like the one Eric Clapton used on Derek & The Dominoes’ Live album and does the job brilliantly; a Spanish made Manlay The Sound overdrive which is very Beano or Cream sounding, something I was hearing in my head and finally found it. I would also take the very cool Swiss made Greuter Audio Boost with Color. It works perfectly with these others too.

GT: Do you play another musical instrument well enough to do so in a band situation?

IR: Hmm, I love playing bass. I could play bass in blues or pop band. I played some on my previous album Letters From Dark Country, as well on the new one that we are currently cutting in the studio. I bought this book of Beatles bass lines and am having fun with that.

GT: If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it?

IR: I’m a semi good reader and of course if you are a teacher as well it is essential. We did a bunch of sight reading stuff at GIT (Musician’s Institute) where I studied back in 1982 so I have it in my spine. I also started classical guitar at Turku Conservatory at a very late age in 2016, but I realised the ability to read was still there which was great. I really recommend getting your reading together.

GT: Do guitar cables really make a difference? What make are yours?

IR: I use Vox or Fender curly cables because they look so cool onstage. Very ’60s vibe which I like. I can’t think of images with Eric Clapton with Cream or Jimi Hendrix without the curly cable. Probably not the most high-tech but hip. I just saw a new Fender purple one, so I gotta get one of those.

GT: Is there anyone’s playing that you’re slightly jealous of?

IR: I can’t really say I was ever jealous. I usually put the energy towards working harder and finding my own voice. I never wanted to be anyone else in that sense and did not want to learn anyone’s solos note for note. Instead I stole bits and pieces to make my own kinda version of things. Listening to great players kicks your ass.

GT: Your studio is burning down: which guitar do you salvage?

IR: My 1971 cherry sunburst Gibson ES-335 TD for sure. I love that guitar. I only have two electric guitars so this was easy.

GT: What’s your favourite amp and how do you set it?

IR: Nowadays it is very common for guitarists to have like 5-10 different amps in their collection. I only have one which is a 1995 re-issue of the Marshall Bluesbreaker combo. It just had the master volume modification (PPIMV) done and housed with Warehouse 25W Green Berets. Sounds perfect for any style, at least for me.

GT: What kind of action do you have on your guitars?

IR: My action is kinda medium to keep enough tension and bend correctly. On acoustic guitars maybe little higher.

GT: What strings do you use?

IR: I’m not really picky about strings. My gauge for electric is now 09-042. I used to have 10-46 but going thinner was my latest discovery, going back to how I started. The brands have been D’Addario and Rotosound - the cheapest ones. Acoustic gauge would 10-52 and I usually change the third string to an unwound electric string with gauge 018-020.

GT: Who was your first influence to play the guitar?

IR: Of course it was someone obvious, maybe bands more than just one guitar player. I always liked the guitarists with semi-hollow guitars like The Beatles with their Epiphone Casinos. I remember as a kid seeing Creedence Clearwater’s Cosmo’s Factory album back cover with Tom Fogerty holding a cool looking semi-acoustic electric. Same vibe was watching the Elvis ’68 Comeback Special on the TV. Those cool semi-hollow guitars rocked. When I really started playing, the coolest guitarist was Finnish Jukka Tolonen with whom I also studied for a while. He was another Gibson ES-335 man and made that model his trademark.

GT: What was the first guitar you really lusted after?

IR: It was definitely a Gibson ES-335. My schoolmate got one from his parents and I desperately wanted to have one too. I did two jobs all summer and so I got one when I was 15.

GT: What would you say was the best gig you ever did?

IR: I had this wonderful night some years ago at 55 Bar in New York City with my trio. It is a tiny little place with super good acoustics, intimate atmosphere and the audience was digging it. Famous guitarists like Bill Connors, Jim Campilongo and Jonathan Kreisberg were in the audience so it was a special night. I was nervous as hell but it was great.

GT: And what about your worst playing nightmare?

IR: I see the nightmares of gigs going terribly wrong in my dreams constantly, but so far it’s never happened in real life. Gotta knock on wood!

GT: What’s the most important musical lesson you ever learn?

IR: I was studying at GIT in Hollywood and that of course was an ear and eye opening experience for a young guitarist. But I had two funny ones and no guitar was involved. I went to New York City and booked a lesson with legendary Bill Connors whose ECM acoustic and electric albums I always admired. But instead of playing the guitar he played me all his Mozart vinyls and we listened and talked till 4am drinking a big Johnnie Walker bottle on the side. But I learned the Art Of Listening. The other one happened in New York City too. I went to listen to the Mike Stern trio at 55 Bar where he had his almost weekly residency. While he was setting up his pedals I went to ask him if he would give me a lesson while I’m in town. No, he replied, but would you kindly carry my amp from the club basement he asked. He said it was too heavy. So I did. At that moment I realised I might still have a lot of homework to do before taking a lesson from a master like Mike Stern. But I was happy to help him with the amp and enjoyed the show even more that night.

no wadays it ’s very co mmon for guit arists to have 5-10 amps in thei r co llection . I have on ly one !

GT: Do you still practise?

IR: I practise a lot. I’m an early bird so I get up at 8am, make some coffee, play classical études and pieces for 60 minutes, fingerstyle jazz standards for another 60 minutes, make some solo transcriptions trying to learn something new every week and then improvise freely. Playing fingerstyle jazz standards has helped me most as musician, as well as playing